Roger W. Hartsook

Roger W. Hartsook, 76, of Emporia died on October 25, 2020 at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.

Roger was born on January 31, 1944 in Townsville, Australia, the son of Herbert Edwin and Beverly Mercia Pannett James Hartsook. He married Beverly J. Schneider on April 14, 1984 at the First Congregational Church in Emporia. They divorced in May of 2009.

Roger was employed at KVOE Radio and its sister stations from 1968 to 1985, and again from 1988 to 2017 serving as the News Director and on the sales staff. He belonged to the Kansas Associated Press Broadcasters and the Association of News Broadcasters of Kansas. He was a past-president of both groups and served on numerous committees as well.  Roger was twice awarded the AP Spot Story of the year honor; once in 1974 for coverage of the Emporia Tornado, and again in 1975 for coverage of the fact The New Orleans Sniper had been a young man from Emporia.

Roger served on the Emporia Board of Education for 16 years, including one term as president from 1987 to 2003. During that time, he served on the Religion in the School’s Committee for the Kansas Association of School Boards. Roger was a founding member of the original Emporia State Hornet Booster Club in 1971. He served for 27 years on the Emporia Recreation Board, including several terms as Chairman from 1989 to 2002 and 2004 to 2018; was a past-member of the Emporia Kiwanis Club; member of Flint Hills Optimist Club, serving one term as President; an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Emporia Salvation Army Advisory Board; and a member of the First Congregational Church. Roger was a member of the inaugural 1989 Class of Leadership Emporia. He also served on the Emporia Friends of the Zoo Board, the Emporia Granada Theatre Association, and spent several years on the board of directors for Hetlinger Developmental Services.

Surviving immediate family members include: son, Ian L. (Gretchen) Hartsook of Manhattan; daughter, Jalna L. Hartsook of Olpe; brother, Robert F. Hartsook of Kansas City; grandson, August Hartsook of Manhattan; and nephew, Austin (Leah) Hartsook of Seattle, WA. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Cremation is planned and a memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, 2020 at the Anderson Building at the Lyon County Fairgrounds with Pastors Howard and Laura Cassidy-Moffat of First Congregational Church officiating. The family will greet friends during the hour prior to the service. Masks will be required, social distancing will be observed, and attendance in the building is limited to 200 people. Video of the service will be live-streamed via the church’s Facebook page. A burial will follow the service at the Eureka Cemetery in Eureka. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Emporia Friends of the Zoo or Emporia Public School Endowment Fund, sent in care of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, PO Box #175, Emporia, Kansas 66801.